Harry Potter and the Untitled Seventh Novel
by TheUnofficialMarauders
Summary: Harry Potter faces the pains of being a teenager, with the added trouble of being 'The Boy Who Lived'. Here is his search for a way to save everyone. Major HBP Spoilers!
1. Beginnings

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, or any of the other characters. That is all the work of J.K. Rowling herself.

Dursleys, Summer, and Grief

Harry Potter was an extraordinary boy. He had defeated the Dark Lord Voldemort as a baby. He was spared from a spell that had killed many people, including his parents. He was saved by a sacrifice, his mother's sacrifice. She gave her life to protect her son, standing against certain death.

This summer eve had Harry thinking of that. Well, he was thinking of a lot of things. He was thinking of a prophecy that had sent Voldemort after him, thinking of sacrifices that had been made for him. His father, James, had tried to protect Harry and his mother, Lily. He had tried to give them time to run, to get away. He died because of it. Lily stood before her son, even when she was given the chance to save herself. She was killed because of it. Her sacrifice had given Harry protection against Voldemort's killing curse, and that was how Harry found himself to be 'The Boy Who Lived'. His godfather had tried to save him, and was killed by his cousin Bellatrix. Dumbledore, a man he had considered like a grandfather, was killed by that dirty traitor Severus Snape, who had convinced everyone, even Dumbledore, of his innocence.

Harry could recall those moments at the end of last year. Chasing after Snape, trying to curse him, hex him, make him pay for what he did. He could still see Snape's face as he taunted him, and as he was outraged at being called a coward.

Sitting up quickly, Harry got up from his bed to look out the window. The night was stuffy and hot, and the memories were making his blood boil. Memories had been plaguing him ever since he got back to the Dursleys. The Dursleys took it on themselves to avoid him. They almost seemed frightened of him, as his eyes were always cast downward and he was so quiet. They just left him be, especially after the visit the old wizard had paid them last year.

A tap on the window told him that his owl Hedwig was back from wherever she had been. He opened the window to admit the beautiful snowy owl. She looked at him with her large yellow eyes, and then held her leg out to show him a letter. Harry untied the letter from her leg, and then gave her a quick pat on the head. He found her an owl treat, gave it to her, and then walked over to his bed to look at the letter. He turned on his lamp and looked at the name on the front. It was a letter from his best friend Ron Weasley.

_Hey Harry,_

_Bill and Fleur's wedding is coming up and we just wanted to make sure you were definitely going to come. Mum is happier now about the wedding, and she's been helping a lot. She and Fleur get on a bit better now. Oh, and Happy Birthday Harry!_

_Ron_

Harry smiled, and looked at his clock. It was indeed his birthday. He probably would have forgotten it, had he not been reminded. Harry opened the small package that came with the letter and found a box of assorted candies.

Another package came by way of a tawny owl. Harry guessed it was from Hermione. He was right, as he opened the letter to find her handwriting.

_Dear Harry,_

_Happy Birthday! I do hope to see you soon. I'll be at Bill and Fleur's wedding and hope to see you there. Oh, and I know this summer must be hard for you, but don't forget that you have Ron and me. Again, hope to see you soon._

_Hermione_

Harry smiled sadly at the letter. Hermione did always try to look on the logical bright side of problems. He noticed that both of his friends seemed to be tiptoeing around the events of the end of school. He wrote two replies, both saying he'd be there for the wedding. In fact, he'd leave tomorrow morning. He had passed his apparition test, so it would be easy. He sent the tawny owl back to Hermione, and Hedwig went back to the Burrow.

He sighed and ran his hand over the back of his head, ruffling his already messy hair. He looked around his room which had newspapers strewn everywhere. They were tacked on his walls, piled on his desk, thrown about on the floor. With Dumbledore gone Voldemort seemed to have taken out all the stops. Muggle and Magical worlds alike were having so many murders many papers couldn't keep up. Harry recognized some of the names from the world of magic, people he had met or heard of. The minister kept trying to contact him, but he wouldn't even open the letters anymore.

"Dumbledore's man through and through." The minister had called him, and Harry couldn't help but think that's what he had been the whole time. Everything he had done for so long had been connected to Dumbledore. He had looked up to the man, and he had always been there. The Ministry of Magic had turned their back on Dumbledore and him when they tried to tell everyone that Voldemort had returned. They had made Dumbledore to look a fool; they had even sent someone to watch him at the school.

Harry was dubbed to be a crazy lunatic who couldn't be trusted, or a terrible liar who wanted to scare people, only to gain the attention he so desperately wanted. They had come out of it on top though. When Death Eaters were found at the Ministry, they were forced to believe it. They couldn't ignore something right before their noses.

Then, the new Minister tried to make Harry the mascot, tried to play it off as giving the people hope. Make Harry their hope, the tragic hero who had gotten rid of Voldemort the first time, supporting the Ministry. Harry had declined. How could he support something that had never supported him? Dumbledore, the Weasleys, Hermione, Neville, they had supported him.

Harry lay down on his bed, putting his glasses on the table beside his bed. He put his hands over his eyes and stared into the darkness they created. Visions swam before him. The hall he had followed for a year to a door that was locked, then opened, the flash of green light that took everything from him, A jet of green light and a fall into darkness. He finally drifted to sleep, fitfully turning about as he dreamed of the past, and thought of the future.

He woke early the next morning and got dressed quickly. He piled stuff in his trunk, not planning to ever return to this house, and then apparated to the Burrow to see the friends whom he hadn't seen since the end of school.

* * *

Author's Note: This chapter does seem a little short, but the books always do begin a little slow. It should get much better. This was just for recapping and beginning. I'm happy to be writing something again, and my editor should be happy too. 


	2. Sad Meetings

Harry found himself outside the crookedly towering Burrow. He walked up the path to the door, pulling his trunk along behind him. He knocked softly, and heard a crash and quick walking toward the door.

"Who's there?" The voice of Mrs. Weasley came through the door.

"It's me, Harry." He said. She threw open the door to admit him. Her face was spread in a strained smile, though she did look happy enough to see him.

"Hello Harry dear!" She exclaimed, and pulled him into a hug. When she let him go, she walked back into the house so he could follow. Harry looked around the house, which looked the same as ever. It was still a comfort, more of a home than he had at the Dursley's anyway.

Harry was greeted by a string of choruses when he came into the dining room. It seemed to be breakfast time, and most of the Weasleys were sitting at the table.

"Arthur won't be here. He's been so busy at work lately." Mrs. Weasley said behind him, looking sadly at the table with its empty seat.

Harry just nodded, not sure how to respond. He took a seat when Mrs. Weasley beckoned him to one. Harry looked around the table carefully, taking note that all eyes were on him. He could even feel Mrs. Weasley's eyes on him from behind. Ron was giving him a slight smile, Fred and George were giving him wide grins, and looking as though they were bursting with news about their joke shop. Ginny was trying to hide her glances by looking at him out of the corner of her eyes. She was avoiding his gaze, and turned a distinct shade of pink when he looked at her.

Mrs. Weasley brought food to the table a few minutes later, and people began to talk to each other again. Harry listened to a conversation between Ron, Fred, and George as they were talking about the new products they were working on for their shop, and how great they would come out. Ginny was talking to Mrs. Weasley about new robes, and kept stealing silent glances at Harry.

Harry wanted to talk to her, but he guessed she was still hurt from the year before. She loved him, and he loved her just as much, but he didn't want her to get hurt. Voldemort would use any excuse to hurt the people Harry cared about, and he just couldn't stand to think of losing another person who was close to him. He wanted to tell her that, but she would only try and persuade him that she could be strong, and he didn't know if he could tell her no.

"Hey Harry, let's go outside and play a game of quidditch. It's boring in here." Ron suggested, as he and the twins started to stand up.

"Alright." Harry agreed, and stood up himself. He followed them outside.

The four of them went outside and played two on two. They spent a few hours out in the field scoring goals, talking and laughing. It was the best Harry had felt in a long time, and yet he felt like an imposter playing the part of a normal teenage boy. He hoped that once it was all over he could have a normal life, but it seemed an almost impossible wish.

When they came back to the ground, finally deciding to end the game with Harry and Ron the victors, Harry could have sworn he saw a flash of red hair disappear behind the trunk of a nearby tree. He shook his head, and attempted to ignore the spy that was Ginny Weasley, not knowing how to face her yet.

He started to follow the boys back to the house, passing the tree where she hid. He felt a hand tug gently at his sleeve, and he slowed to a stop, not turning around. He watched Ron and the twins walk the rest of the way to the door, still not turning.

"Harry…please look at me." Ginny's voice was whisper quiet, as she still held onto the sleeve of his robe. He turned slowly to look at the redhead.

Her eyes were looking directly into his, a sad look overshadowing the fiery spirit that lay within. Her mouth was open slightly as she searched for the words she wanted to say, hovering between screaming at him and pleading with him.

He stopped whatever she would say with his own words.

"Ginny, I'm sorry about the last day of school." He told her. "I don't feel what I said was wrong though." He said before she could take what he said as a retraction.

She looked at him for a few seconds, then opened her mouth to speak again.

"Harry, I love you." She pleaded, "I don't want you to go off and get yourself killed and leave me behind." A lone tear ran down her cheek as she tried to keep the rest at bay.

Harry looked down at her and emotions flew within him. He wanted to take her in his arms and save her from her pain. He wanted to kiss her and tell her he loved her. He wanted to push her away and tell her that it was dangerous and he wouldn't let her get hurt by being around him. He wanted to tell her to stop making him feel so guilty, to stop making him feel like the bad guy.

His second emotion won out, kinda. He stepped away from her and turned away.

"Ginny, I couldn't stand it if anything hurt you because of me. I'm sorry, but I can't see you. Please don't be mad at me, I just don't want anything to happen to you."

Harry didn't need to turn around to know the effect of his words. He could hear her fall to the ground, and he could almost feel the tremble of her sobs. She was on her knees crying for him, and it killed him to be the cause of her tears. He couldn't help but feel he would rather be facing death at the hand of Voldemort than to be the cause of her sadness.

"I'm sorry Ginny. Really I am. If there was any other way, I would find it." He said, then began to walk back toward the house.

He didn't look back the whole way, but his own tears began falling as he went. He went up to Ron's room, thankful his friend wasn't there, and sat there on the bed. The scene played through his head again and again, and he just wished it wasn't so hard. He fell asleep, wishing he could hold Ginny in his arms.


	3. A Dream and a Wedding

Harry was awakened a few hours later by Ron, who had come looking for him. Luckily he was able to pass off the sleeping on lack of sleep from the day before. He got up and went down to have lunch. Ginny was there, but she didn't look at him. Her eyes were red, and Mrs. Weasley kept asking her what was wrong, but she ignored any attempt to be spoken to. Harry wished he could hide under a rock, or be squashed by one.

During lunch Mrs. Weasley talked about Bill and Fleur's wedding, which was going to be the next day. She was happy, a wedding being a great light in what was turning out to be a dark world.

"Harry dear, Bill wants you to be part of the wedding. Not the best man, Charlie is going to be that, but he wants you to stand up there along with a couple of his other friends." Mrs. Weasley said to him when he finished eating.

Harry smiled and nodded. "That sounds great." He voiced.  
"Wonderful!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed. "Ginny is going to be one of the brides maids. She looks so wonderful in her dress." Mrs. Weasley said, going back to talking about everything else in the wedding.

Soon after talk of the wedding stopped, a knock came at the door. A few minutes later Hermione Granger walked into the dining room, a large smile spread across her face. Her brown hair was pulled into a messy bun at the back of her head, a few loose curls framing her face. Her brown eyes were those of great intelligence. She looked the type to take everything in at once, and to process it just as quickly.

"Hermione!" Ron exclaimed, jumping up. He looked embarrassed at his sudden outburst of happiness, and turned red around the ears. She didn't seem to notice though as she threw her arms around him in a hug. She separated quickly, and gave Harry a hug as well. "Harry, Ron, so glad to see you both." She told them.

"Great to see you too Hermione." Harry said. Ron nodded, running a hand over his hair. Harry wanted to roll his eyes. Ron was such an idiot sometimes.

"So, Hermione, had a nice summer?" Ron asked, making conversation stiffly.

"It was alright." She replied. Like Harry, she was not one to forget things like a death so quickly, and it had taken a toll on her summer as well. Also, she had feared constantly for her parents, being that the Death Eaters had nothing to stop them any longer.

They spent the rest of the evening catching up, and talking. They dodged the subject of Dumbledore, each of them dancing on the tips of their toes, trying not to turn the conversation to what they all feared thinking about. Harry planned to go after the Horcruxes, and Ron and Hermione were going to go with him, but they hadn't spoken a word about it since the end of school, and for now it seemed better to leave it that way. Bill and Fleur's wedding was supposed to be something of joy in this dark time, and thinking of the inevitable danger would not help anyone at this point.

They went to bed early, awaiting the next day eagerly. The wedding would certainly lift spirits.

_Bright light, the sun maybe, shined in his eyes. He blinked it away, and looked around. He was outside in a garden, standing on a platform. He looked around and saw people looking back at him, smiling. He spotted Ginny at the end of a white carpet that was laid on the grass. She was wearing a wedding dress, a bouquet of roses in her hands. She was smiling at him too. Mr. Weasley led her to the altar to stand by him. He took her hands in his own, and a ceremony began. The two of them weren't listening though, but off in their own little world staring into each others eyes. Then everything went dark, as though the sun was extinguished like a candle. Cold, evil laughter filled his ears as though magnified a thousand times, and green light blinded him. _

Harry woke with a start, his heart beating quickly and loudly. He took a deep breath, and emptied his head of all thoughts, letting the cool night wash over him and take the dream away. Knowing he wouldn't get back to sleep, he got up and got dressed in jeans and a T-shirt. He walked down to the kitchen, surprised to find that it wasn't empty. Bill Weasley was sitting there, his hands folded under his chin, starring at a spot on the table. His face looked scratched and weathered, a sign of his bravery during the fight at Hogwarts, but he didn't seem to be suffering pain anymore.

His eyes came up when he heard Harry coming down the last step.

"Hello Harry. You can't sleep either?" Bill said, giving him a small smile.

"No, I guess I can't." Harry said, returning the slight smile. He took a seat at the table across from Bill.

"Today's the big day. I'm getting married." Bill said, sighing happily.

"That's great." Harry told him. He stared at his hands, folded in front of him.

Bill sat there for a few more minutes as the silence stretched on. Then he stood, bid Harry goodnight, and went up to bed. Harry sat there for a longer while, staring around the house, his own thoughts his worst enemy. After a while he finally went back up to bed and fell into an uneasy sleep.

When Harry awoke the next morning, he set his mind to getting ready for the wedding. He put on his dress robes and combed his hair. He cleaned his glasses and fixed the scratches that lined the lenses. He helped Ron get ready as well, then the both of them went down to the kitchen. Mr. Weasley, Bill, Charlie, and the twins were there, talking happily. Bill looked the happiest, and if he was nervous he hid it well. The time between that and the start of the wedding went quickly, and they all went outside.

It was a beautiful summer afternoon, and the garden had been turned into a wedding heaven. As Harry took his seat, he found himself thinking this was almost like his dream.

The music began to play, and the brides maids began to come down the aisle. Ginny was one, and Gabrielle the other. They were both dressed in a pale purple that shimmered in the sunlight. Ginny's hair was curled and hung down about her shoulders. She looked so beautiful, and Harry couldn't help but stare. Ginny didn't return the look though, and kept her eyes ahead.

He kept looking at her through most of the ceremony, until the end when Bill and Fleur were pronounced husband and wife. He pulled himself out of the horrible feeling that he was having. He smiled and clapped happily for Bill and Fleur, and couldn't help but hope he could one day have that with Ginny, when Voldemort was dead.

Author's Note: Sorry I haven't updated in a while, but I've been very busy. I do love writing this fan fiction though, and I don't plan on stopping until it's done. I hope you all enjoy it so far, and I promise it will get better and there will be more action.


	4. Leaving Home

**Leaving Home**

Harry remained at the Weasleys' house for a week after the wedding, but by then he was sure he had to leave. Ron agreed with him reluctantly, as did Hermione. They seemed worried about leaving everyone behind though.

"Harry, just a few more days?" Ron pressed through the day, though not harshly. Harry almost thought of leaving him here, if only to stop his questioning and to settle Mrs. Weasley's fear of losing a family member, but Ron wouldn't hear of that either. He finally agreed that today would be the day they left, and went to pack a bag of stuff.

It was just after noon that they were finally ready to leave. Everyone assembled in the dining room, and it was a very sober affair. Mrs. Weasley was trying her best not to cry as she hugged each of them. She took special care to give a kiss to Ron's forehead, then she left the room before she started blubbering uncontrollably. Mr. Weasley, not normally so emotional, gave each of them a stiff sort of hug.

When he came to Harry he whispered, "You take care of yourself, and come back. Molly will never forgive you if you don't." He gave a small smile of encouragement.

The twins gave him some joke materials from their shop.

"You never know when that stuff might come in handy." Fred said.

"Yeah, great for distractions and whatever else." George added.

Harry thanked them both. He wished their business well, and promised to be their best customer when he came back. They laughed and agreed.

Ginny was next to say goodbye. She hugged her brother and Hermione, and then looked at Harry. She hugged him as well, crying slightly.

"I'll hate you if you don't come back Harry Potter." She told him fiercely.

He returned the hug, and gave her a kiss on the forehead.

"I'll be back Ginny." He told her, the words like a phoenix tears on her soul.

… …… ………… …

With all the goodbyes out of the way, they gathered their stuff and walked out of the house. The whole Weasley clan watched them walk away from the house until they were out of sight. Ron and Hermione turned to Harry.

"Where do we go from here Harry?" Hermione questioned.

"Godric's Hollow." He replied without a moment's thought.

Ron and Hermione exchanged looks, but they didn't seem to disapprove. So they were off to Godric's Hollow. Apparation was still like being squeezed between two very large boulders, but no one complained.

When they reappeared, they stood before the village that was Godric's Hollow. It wasn't a large and extravagant place, but quaint and charming. If people seemed to notice three odd teenagers just popping in unexpectedly, they didn't say anything.

Walking through the town, they came to a place where the land looked like it had been built on before. The soil was turned, and there were little pieces of brick and wood still in it, as though cleaning it had been a long process and no one had bothered to finish.

Harry looked at it for a while without saying anything. Ron and Hermione didn't know what to say. Hermione for certain hadn't had any fantasy of it all being as it had sixteen years before. Harry supposed he hadn't either, but he'd hoped to find something of a trace…even the smallest clue to his parents' lives.

… ……… ……… …..

"Well if I didn't know any better I'd swear you were James Potter." A voice said behind them. They turned to see a woman looking at them.

"You knew James Potter?" Harry asked her.

"Knew him? Not well I suppose. Used to go to school together, but I didn't know him all that well." She said. "You must be his son." She said, dawning on it suddenly.

Harry looked at her, wondering who she was. She looked to be in her late thirties. She had a casual appearance, wearing jeans and a long T-shirt. Her brown hair was piled messily on her head, and her face was round and kind.

"Well come along then. You can't stand out here all night." She told them. "I'll make you some tea." She said, as if that was more of a persuasion.

Harry didn't know who she was, but he knew how he felt about people he could trust, and she didn't seem like a bad person. Besides, he reasoned, maybe she knew something about his parents that she could tell them.

* * *

Author's Note: Hey people who are reading this. Sorry about the updates being so few and far between, but I've been so busy. I don't know how I feel about this chapter, but as long as it pushes the story along… Hope you're enjoying it so far! Please, Review and tell me what you think! 


	5. Surprise Meetings

**Surprising Meetings**

Godric's Hollow was a small place, such a quiet little village. The people lived on the edge of magic and muggle life. The houses were well spaced with yards and gardens, and the whole place had a feel of almost boredom about it, but a lazy boredom that isn't minded by people.

Many people had found themselves living here over the years, nobody ever having any real trouble. The Potters had chosen it because of how safe it had always been, and who would suspect people in hiding to live in such a place, in plain sight?

"I'll put on some tea, and then we can talk." Their hostess said as they entered her house. It was simply furnished with brown cushioned chairs, a soft armchair, and a couch with an assortment of pillows, almost like a collection of comfort. Her whole house seemed to be centered on comfort. A book lay open on the coffee table, along with a cup that had a cinnamon stick swimming in the little bit of brown liquid at the bottom.

"Make yourselves at home." She told them with a smile, walking over to the kitchen to start the water to boiling. "I'm guessing you came to find out more about your parents from the anxious look on your face." She said, her voice kind.

She came into the room a moment later with three cups filled with browning liquid. "No tea leaves…I've never been one for that reminder of how horrid I was in Divinations." She said, smiling slightly. For all Harry's worry, he felt his own mouth turn upwards at the corners.

"Now isn't that the way? You smile just like James too." She laughed. "I saw him enough, always with my cousin. They were like brothers, and so much closer than he was to my sisters."

Harry looked at her. "Andromeda Black?" He questioned, and he could see the truth of it. She looked like Sirius a little, and like Tonks.

"The one and only Andromeda Tonks at your service." She said, a flair for life still evident in her, even in these dark times.

Then Harry looked down at his feet, concentrated on the marks that ran across his sneakers. "Mrs. Tonks…" He said, the name funny on his mouth as he began, though he was interrupted before he got any further.

"Please call me Andromeda."

"Andromeda then, you know that Sirius is…" He couldn't say it.

"Yes, I read about my cousin's great demise, and I know it had something to do with you, but I know better than to think it was your fault, and you should think the same. If my cousin thought going after you was worth it, he'd have done it without a second thought." She explained. Her smile had faded slightly, a bit more forced as she took to sipping her tea.

Harry looked around the room, not sure about what they really were doing here. He figured he could trust her, as she'd been Sirius' favorite cousin and she was Tonks's mom.

"So where is Mr. Tonks?" Hermione asked, making polite conversation.

"He's at work. Loves that job so much, but it makes money a bit funny to deal with, being very different you know." She replied. Hermione laughed at this, understanding perfectly the difference.

Harry thought of the family tree in Sirius' house and the cindered mark that had once been Andromeda. She didn't seem too much out of sorts to be so unlike her sisters.

Andromeda looked at him and winked, as though she were reading his thoughts. "My daughter has a lot of nice things to say about the three of you, but she worries about you too. She told me stories she'd heard about all the trouble you've been in." Her eyes twinkled laughingly. "It's too bad you didn't know James so much. You're so much like him, but I can see your mother in there too, your eyes are so like hers."

"You knew them? What were they like?" He asked, wishing to find out more about the two most important ghosts in his life.

"They were both wonderful people, full of life and happiness." She said, but he'd already known that. "I met your father when he and Sirius were in second year. I was always being told by teachers all the things he and your father did, like fireworks in the corridors, people mysteriously turned into ducks for an hour at a time, sneaking off from classes to go outside on warmer days, and so much more."

Harry listened to her intently, picturing Sirius and his picture of his father do those things, and he could see it almost perfectly in his head.

"I didn't meet Lily until quite a while later. Sirius used to complain about how James never stopped talking about her. I'd heard about how smart she was, and that she was nice to everyone. Bella said once that even Snape liked her, no matter how evil he was to her."

Harry's eyes narrowed at the mention of the two of them. Neither of them deserved breath, let alone knowing both of his parents better than he did.

Andromeda leaned forward and patted his knee softly. "It's ok. I'll tell you as much as I can." She assured him, and began to recount in detail all the things she'd been told by Sirius and Bella, keeping Harry, Hermione, and Ron's attention.

(((Author's Note: I'm so happy I have time to work on this. It's just so fun to write. I hope you're enjoying it so far. I'm going to have longer chapters soon. )))


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